Acute flaccid myelitis: A recently emerged paralytic syndrome in children with characteristic MRI findings

Abstract

Acute flaccid myelitis is a neuroinflammatory disease of the spinal cord that predomi-nantly affects children and that presents with sudden-onset flaccid paralysis and distinc-tive MR imaging findings. The condition has been strongly linked to respiratory infections by enterovirus D68. Currently, in the absence of a definitive laboratory test, MR imaging findings are considered confirmatory for this condition. Herein, we describe the clinical and imaging findings of acute flaccid myelitis by using illustrative cases from the most recent outbreak in 2018.